well I have to agree, not that the talks should be controlled by any one in terms of a negotitaion. That said there is no guarantee that the EU will get what it wants without acrimony-which will be very good for trade and remember they started this in the first place. As to Mandelson;remember term Prince of Darkness coined for Micheal Howard? I'd say Dracula would be apt of Mandelson, after all leeched on us as EU trade commissioner

Has it occurred to anyone that since the bureaucrats of the EU grudgingly allowed Article 50 to exist that they might have some, small, responsibility to make sure that it is executable in a fair manner, having taken into account borders etc?

LE

Blaming the EU for our continued failure to address the situation isn't good enough. We're still not doing it, they agreed to kick the can down the road twice in the mistaken belief that we were going to come up with something.

LE

The EU needs a re-org, you are preaching to the converted, I doubt any of the remainers would disagree. However, leaving the EU is the act of a stupid child.
Think,
'You want to leave the warren? 'I dare you to run across the M4 at Heathrow without being run down at rushhour!''
''Oh, anything for independence!''

Indeed; I am especially looking forward to the Commons vote on the CU being cast by the government as a confidence issue - see BBC News for details.

It is my Royal and Imperial Command that you concentrate your energies, for the immediate present upon one single purpose, and that is that you address all your skill and all the valour of my soldiers, to exterminate first, the treacherous English, walk over General Frenchs contemptible little Army. Kaiser Wilhlem II, 19 Aug 14 (allegedly!)

The BBC:
"Its not just the political bias. It's the utter intellectual vacuity of it .... like watching 11 years olds debate politics"
"The BBC supports a whole class of parasites whose ambition is to destroy the service of the very people who, through forced taxation, pay their wages.

The BBC:
"Its not just the political bias. It's the utter intellectual vacuity of it .... like watching 11 years olds debate politics"
"The BBC supports a whole class of parasites whose ambition is to destroy the service of the very people who, through forced taxation, pay their wages.

LE

Just in case it is difficult for you to comprehend. The EU had NO PART in current operations in Syria of Mali. Basically it did f*ck all when sh*t needed doing in Africa. France and France alone did that. Requests for assistance (ie transport planes) came from France, not the EU. The EU has little clout in the world bar gifting European taxpayers' money.

The BBC:
"Its not just the political bias. It's the utter intellectual vacuity of it .... like watching 11 years olds debate politics"
"The BBC supports a whole class of parasites whose ambition is to destroy the service of the very people who, through forced taxation, pay their wages.

The BBC:
"Its not just the political bias. It's the utter intellectual vacuity of it .... like watching 11 years olds debate politics"
"The BBC supports a whole class of parasites whose ambition is to destroy the service of the very people who, through forced taxation, pay their wages.

LE

Some people really REALLY aren’t learning from their mistakes - on both sides.

Pushing the vote on the CU as a vote of confidence in May is about as dumb as it gets. Didn’t anyone learn anything? Did Trump and Clinton not show everyone what happens when you push the wrong button.

You might just replace May with a really nasty piece of work who will tell the EU to shove its negotiations where the sun doesn’t shine - which I personally think would be a negative move, but may well give the UK a better deal.

Remainders, you had better pray that May sticks around because some of the other potential replacements might make you pee in your undies.

LE

Some people really REALLY aren’t learning from their mistakes - on both sides.

Pushing the vote on the CU as a vote of confidence in May is about as dumb as it gets. Didn’t anyone learn anything? Did Trump and Clinton not show everyone what happens when you push the wrong button.

You might just replace May with a really nasty piece of work who will tell the EU to shove its negotiations where the sun doesn’t shine - which I personally think would be a negative move, but may well give the UK a better deal.

Remainders, you had better pray that May sticks around because some of the other potential replacements might make you pee in your undies.

You say that as if they aren't already sitting in puddles of their own piss.

The BBC:
"Its not just the political bias. It's the utter intellectual vacuity of it .... like watching 11 years olds debate politics"
"The BBC supports a whole class of parasites whose ambition is to destroy the service of the very people who, through forced taxation, pay their wages.

To be fair, given what I have seen of the EU missions (esp EUDP) they are more like Oxfam doing a trade mission than anything else. Too politically correct and too much hidden agendas (and some not so hidden).

I would be happy to see them resolve the refugee situation though, if they are so crack at it.